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This article describes how the n‐Cube expert system development tool can assist in item classification using the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) standard. The n‐Cube makes use of a tree classification structure with associated rules and default inheritance features. Any information known about a particular classification is a combination of the defaults known about that class, as well as the defaults associated with any of its parent classes. As a result, many of the problems associated with simple rule‐based systems are overcome.

Organizational development and change may be initiated from two different starting points. A diagnostic approach begins with an examination of problems to assess and correct dysfunction. In contrast, the Appreciative Inquiry approach begins by identifying an organization’s strengths as resources for change. An experimental study was conducted to compare the processes and outcomes that arise during the first phase of each approach. Results show that both approaches lead to different but favorable and complementary outcomes. Both participant gender and the gender construction of the dyads in which individuals participated moderate these effects in unexpected ways. The implications for understanding the processes by which both methods work, and the potential for combining them, are discussed

This study aims to examine the relationship between service providers' communication style and customer satisfaction and how service criticality and nature moderate this relationship.

The methodology included systematic sampling of consumers of professional services.

Although a service provider's communication style significantly relates to customer satisfaction, the relationship is moderated by service criticality and service nature. To enhance customer satisfaction, communication characterized by high affiliation is more important in high‐ than in low‐critical situations. Low dominance in communication is more important in low‐critical situations, but the level of dominance is unimportant in high‐critical situations. On the other hand, high affiliation is more important for credence services, but the level of affiliation is unimportant for experience services. Low dominance is more important for experience services, and high dominance is more important for credence services.

The findings imply that service firm managers need to train their employees to consider the criticalness and the nature of the service being sold and then how to adjust their communication style accordingly. Because the research reported here focuses on professional services, future research needs to determine the effects of communication style on customer satisfaction for other types of services.

In conclusion, the findings generally support the theoretical orientations of the social interaction model and script theory in that there is a positive relationship between customers' satisfaction with service providers' communication style and with the service rendered. However, service criticality and the service nature need to be considered when deciding on the optimum service employee communication style.

Although there has been increasing interest in the role of affect in work settings, the impact of moods and emotions in strategic decision making remains largely unexplored. In this essay, we address this shortcoming by proposing a conceptual model of strategic decision making that incorporates, at its core, the impact of affective states on cognitive processes that are integral to the decision outcome. The model is based on the principles of Affective Events Theory, which holds that environmental exigencies generate “affective events” that cause emotional reactions in organizational members which, in turn, determine members’ attitudes and behaviors. We extend this model to include the effect of the extra-organizational environment, and propose that emotions “infuse” those cognitive processes that are critical to the strategic decision making process. We conclude that strategic decision making in organizations is not always a controlled, deliberate, purely cognitive process, as it is often described. Rather, we contend that the moods and emotions that managers experience in response to positive and negative workplace events have a significant affect on strategic decision-making processes and ultimately, organizational-level outcomes. We discuss the implications of our model for theory, research, and practice.

Although the outcomes arising from firms’ interaction with policymakers is a developed theme, family firms’ political credentials and lobbying remain unexplored. To ignite this discourse, the extent to which these factors influence family firms’ tax experience and perception of corruption obstacles is estimated, as well as the impact on sales performance.

Cross-sectional data from Turkish family firms are examined by a structural equation model. The sample is comprised of 588 family firms spanning 12 regions.

The paths revealed that family firms’ political credentials do not inherently yield a positive tax experience. Rather, membership of a business association provides a medium to engage in lobbying activity. In turn, this leads to a more positive tax experience but also a greater exposure to corruption. Likewise, informed lobbying increases sales performance while corruption has the reverse effect.

The significant influences of political credentials and lobbying make a novel contribution to organisational field theory. Practically, the study appeals to family firms seeking to ease their tax experience while increasing sales and bypassing corruption.

The purpose of the paper is to explore the potential of autopoiesis theory to open up new ways to understand knowledge production in business organizations.

Initially essential theoretical information is presented, by reviewing the concept of knowledge‐based competitive advantages in business organizations, and describing the notions of autopoiesis as a basis for the understanding of knowledge production in organizations, and micro‐macro problem within the companies' structure and production. After that follows the main content of the paper, namely descriptions of processes influencing knowledge production in business organizations.

Knowledge is embedded in social practices and a local setting and it is very much tacit in nature providing then a basis for creating a sustainable competitive advantage for business organizations. A business organization's memory and production are mutual media for one another in autopoietic recursive processes.

Finding a viable perspective and approach with which business organizations can understand how their knowledge production takes place is an important issue. It is claimed in this paper that the idea of autopoiesis can potentially provide a new understanding for business organizations' knowledge production.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the nutritional status and quality of life in patients according to the clinical severity of liver cirrhosis.

A total of 151 cirrhotics were selected for study. Nutritional assessment was done by anthropometry, subjective global assessment, malnutrition universal screening tool, biochemical estimations and 72‐hour dietary recall. Quality of life was assessed by chronic liver disease questionnaire.

Child's status was A/B/C in 29/68/59, respectively. Muscle and fat depletion was significantly higher in grade C patients as compared to grade A and B patients. Incidence of malnutrition was lowest in grade A patients (72.4 percent) and highest in grade C patients (90.74 percent) (p = 0.00). Calorie and protein intake was significantly lower in grade C patients compared to grade A and B patients (p = 0.00). Child Pugh score was found to be an independent risk factor for various nutritional and clinical parameters.

The data presented reflect the assessment of a very small cohort of these patients and should be done on a larger scale.

Looking into the high prevalence of malnutrition and the negative impact of disease severity, nutritional assessment of these patients should be done on a regular basis and nutritional therapy planned accordingly.

Data on malnutrition from India are scarce. This study is a small attempt to throw light on the nutritional status and its variation according to clinical severity of liver cirrhosis.

Distance learning has proliferated significantly in the last 20 years. This chapter considers some of the issues and implications when teaching and learning moves from an in-person to a distance mode. It begins with a brief history of distance learning, considering both the technologies used and the dominant pedagogical approaches employed. This is followed by a survey of the impact of Michael Moore's theory of transactional distance, which considered the consequences of separating the learner from peers and instructor. Contemporary work on Moore's contribution includes transaction and participation, activity theory, and transactional presence. A second major aspect of distance learning has been the attempt to introduce social presence into learning environments. The history of social presence is explored, as are its levels and consequences for the learner. Contemporary aspects of social presence reviewed include communities of inquiry. While Web 2.0 has spectacularly resulted in connectivity, it remains unclear as to whether this automatically resulted in more strongly connected learners. Connectivist approaches are considered and distinctions made between technological connectivity and pedagogical engagement. It is argued that the full and exciting potential of Web 2.0 in distance learning requires a commitment to the distanced learner, balancing learner autonomy and teacher presence, promoting meaningful social engagement, and meeting the specific needs of the distance learner.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the systems integrator type project‐based companies integrate knowledge of different sub‐systems.

Initially, essential theoretical information is presented by reviewing the concept of systemic view. After that follows illustrations of the concepts of knowledge and knowledge integration. Then, the implications for project‐based companies acting as systems integrators through knowledge integration are discussed through the concepts of interaction, interface element, absorptive capacity, and motivation to transfer knowledge. The paper ends with a section on conclusions.

The main finding is: the existence of systems integrator type project‐based company can only be understood through systemic view, i.e. through relationships between parts and wholes.

Finding a viable perspective and approach, with which project‐based companies acting as systems integrators can ensure that knowledge integration takes place efficiently, is a very important issue. Therefore, it is suggested that the systemic view provides a basic approach through which understanding of project‐based companies' knowledge integration may be advanced.